The Hunter and the Prey
Chapter 8: Worry, Healing, and Fond Farewells
Author: Gryphnwng
Rating: …PG-13 in general…mostly violence, and some romance, and swearing.
Disclaimer: I don't, and have never owned Inuyasha. Though I wouldn't mind doing so!!
A/N: Well folks, this is it. Last chapter. For those who were wondering, this was mostly a pre-story to the one that is coming after this. That will have all the villains, like Naraku. ^_^ I don't know how I'm doing it, but it looks to be at least 20 chapters. AUGH! Lol. It'll be awhile before I put it out though; I need to work on my other story first. Ok, I'm sure you're sick of my babbling, so on to the last chapter!
Inside the castle a somber mood had taken hold. Voices were kept soft, and the candlelight was dim. Tongues were kept in check especially around Sesshoumaru. His temper was quite uncertain as he waited for his healer to leave the sickroom. Sango and Miroku sat together nearby; Sango dry eyed but pale, held securely in Miroku's arms. Kirara was in her lap, purring softly as she tried to make her mistress feel better. Rin and Shippou were kept quiet and occupied by Marya. Inuyasha kept himself apart from the others in the small waiting room, his face expressionless, but his heart and mind in deep turmoil. How had things come to this, and why? He cursed inwardly, wishing he could remember what had happened. He was worried about Kagome as well. She was one of his best friends, practically family. He didn't know what he'd do if she…~No, I won't even thing of that. She'll be fine. She has to be!~ His head dropped lower, white bangs covering his glistening eyes.
A noise coming from the next room had them all looking up. With a creaking sigh the door opened, and the healer stepped out. He wiped his lightly scaled fingers off with a cloth, and cleared his throat. Everyone looked to him, varying degrees of worry showing in their faces. Clearing his throat, the bird youkai opened his beak to speak; crystal lenses perched atop catching the light.
"The lady Kagome is resting now. Though she lost a sum of blood, she shall heal in time. I have stitched her wounds, and she is now sleeping. You may see her in the morning." He squawked as he was shoved aside by Sesshoumaru, who entered the room. Inside Kagome lay on a futon, face paler then the sheets pulled up over her. He paused in the doorway, taking in the site that was Kagome. Her pale brow was damp with sweat, her fine raven hair clinging to it. He left the doorway and approached her futon to kneel beside her. He hesitated his hand over her brow, before smoothing it over forehead, wiping away the sweat, smoothing her hair back. His hand, clawed and stronger then human belief, was so gentle over her skin it would barely have been felt. He bowed his head over her bedside, one hand held clasped in his. The barest whisper was heard. "Wake soon and come back to me, my Kagome."
Inuyasha closed the door behind his half-brother, giving him privacy. He turned to the others. "Leave them be for now, he needs to be alone with her." He walked away, head bowed slightly, shielding his eyes from view. Sango started to go after him, but was held back by Miroku. Shaking his head, he watched Inuyasha walk away.
"Let him go, Sango. Inuyasha needs some time to think alone, as well. We will keep watch here for when Lady Kagome wakes."
Her expression troubled, she nodded. "Hai, Miroku-kun."
~*~*~
Kagome felt herself floating in a gray cotton swathed void. Vaguely she could hear voices, but she couldn't tell where they came from. They simply seemed to echo all around her. Some seemed familiar, though others she'd never heard before. Straining her eyes, she tried to see through the gray veil that obscured her sight, but she couldn't. She was starting to get frustrated when one voice cut clearly though the fog. One whose velvet steel she knew very well. Sesshoumaru's.
"Wake soon and come back to me, my Kagome."
With the voice came a clearing of the fog in one direction. With his words echoing in her heart, she ran towards the clearing, fighting her way out of the fog.
~*~*~
Sesshoumaru sat stroking the slender hand he held clasped lightly in his own. He marveled that such a slender, delicate hand could hold such strength and power within it. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and was startled to feel it returned.
"Kagome?"
Bruised lids slowly fluttered open, hazy cinnamon eyes slowly focusing on the world around her. She slowly brought her free hand up to caress Sesshoumaru's cheek. She felt weaker then a kitten; her hand shook as she touched his face. Her voice, too, was weak, barely above a whisper as she spoke.
"Sesshoumaru? You, your voice, it brought me back…" She trailed off again as her voice gave out, and Sesshoumaru placed a finger to her lips.
"Hush, don't try to talk. You have to rest now and get your strength back." Carefully he raised her head, and reached for a cup sitting on the table next to the futon. "Here, drink this. It will help you gain your strength." Obediently she sipped the liquid, feeling it sooth her throat, then let herself be laid back down again, listening to his soft voice. "Sleep now, koi, sleep. Sleep and gain your strength. I'll be here when you wake." She fell asleep to the sound of his voice, and the feel of his hand on her brow.
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The next few weeks passed quickly, with Kagome rapidly gaining in strength. Two days after her first waking Rin and Shippou were finally allowed in to see her. Both of the children were ecstatic to see their adopted "mum" sitting up in bed smiling. Before entering the room they had both been chastised by the adults to be gentle with Kagome, and not to run in and jump on her. Baring this in mind they carefully got onto her bed with her, each to one side, and snuggled into her, voicing their gladness that she was all right. The others watched from the doorway, smiling at the adorable sight the three made. At least, the humans were smiling. As we know, the Great Lord Sesshoumaru never smiles. Much.
It wasn't too long before Kagome was allowed up, and she took to walking in the gardens. During her convalescence she had missed the presence of a certain hanyou. Now that she was nearly healed, it was time to track the errant Inuyasha down. She knew that he couldn't avoid her forever; they both had some talking to do.
She eventually cornered him in a secluded overgrown corner of the gardens, sitting under a tree and to all appearances, moping. So deep in thought was the boy, that he hadn't noticed her presence until her hand touched his shoulder. He jolted upright; eyes wide until he saw whom had startled him. His amber eyes then clouded with shame as he dropped his head once more, avoiding her gaze.
"Inuyasha?" No answer. She tried again. "Inuyasha, please, look at me…" She moved her fingers from his shoulder to under his chin, softly drawing it up so his eyes faced hers. "You can't hide forever, Inuyasha. Please, I want to talk with you." Her soft dark eyes looked imploringly into his, shadows of pain and sadness still evident within their depths. He winced slightly at the site.
"H-How can you want to talk with me, Kagome?" His voice was horse with disuse and his own shame. "I'm the one who betrayed you, who h-hurt you…I'm not worth it. Just a stupid hanyou…" The last sentence was softly spoken, but heavily laden with bitterness and shame. He tried to drop his head again, but was unable as Kagome's fingers tightened their hold on his chin.
"No, Inuyasha. No running away." Her hold softened as she raised her hand to his cheek, cupping it gently. "It's true, you did hurt me, but it wasn't entirely your own fault. How could you have known what Kikiyo was doing? She was very powerful."
He interrupted, speaking quickly. "But I should have! I should have known Kagome, ever since she came back, she wasn't the same! We both know that!"
Kagome stopped his self-incriminations, one finger shushing his lips. "Yes we did, Inuyasha, and we both overlooked that. I am as much to blame as you. Instead of confronting either of you, I ran away instead. I let my emotions rule me, and I hurt you back. For that, I am sorry, Inuyasha."
He mutely shook his head, amber eyes finally daring to meet hers. He was shocked by the sincerity shining in their dark depths. Her image began to waver and blur in front of him. He blinked to clear his eyes, and was startled to feel a liquid warmth trail down his cheeks. He was crying! He'd not done that since…his mother died… Roughly he swiped his arm across his eyes, dispelling the telltale moisture. He looked at Kagome again, who was smiling now.
After speaking her heart Kagome saw something she had never dreamed was possible. Inuyasha, the brash, callous, hotheaded dog-demon hanyou was crying! It was only a few tears, but she saw the depth of emotion they portrayed. Drawing him into her arms, she gave him a fierce hug, and was glad to feel him return it with as much strength. His head buried in her shoulder he spoke, voice roughened with feeling.
"I'm so sorry, Kagome…I never wanted to hurt you, so sorry…" They stayed in this position for a few more moments, relishing the peace of a lightened heart before Inuyasha pulled back. He gaze held hers, more at peace, but grave as well. He self-consciously cleared his throat. "I never meant to hurt you Kagome, whether on my own, or through Kikiyou's half truths and deceptions. I will always love you- like a cherished younger sister. The one you always fight with, but would safe from all harm. I can only hope you can find it to forgive me. You have nothing to be sorry of, you never will." He only hoped that one day he could prove himself worthy of her trust once again.
Kagome's face lit up with a true smile, once again pulling the hanyou into her arms for a hug. Unresisting, though surprised, he allowed himself to be glomped by the young woman. She laughed softly, one hand reaching up to pet his ears. "Silly hanyou, you are forgiven. I hope you find your own hearts match one day." She paused for a moment, and impish smile pulling at the corners of her lips. "Though I pity the woman who is destined to be the mate of a scruffy, grumpy, loud-mouth hanyou!" She scrambled away as he yelped in indignation.
"What? Scruffy? Why you bitch! How dare…!"
The peaceful atmosphere of the garden was interrupted by the shrieks of indignant laughter and cursing, startling the birds into the late afternoon sky.
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It was later that evening when Sesshoumaru found himself playing host to his younger brother at the dinner table. Inuyasha hadn't been very social the entire time he'd been in his brother's domain, so this surprised the lord somewhat. What was even more surprising was that this Inuyasha was not the hot-blooded youngster he'd known before. His eyes where older, a shadow of pain still evident within their amber depths. He carried himself with more grace, and self-reservation. Sesshoumaru was almost impressed.
Inuyasha sat himself at the table, nodding to the others present. Miroku and Sango were especially glad to see their old friend back again, not the possessed manic, or the depressed creature that he'd been before. Rin fell instantly in love with his ears, and demanded to be allowed to pet them.
That dinner passed quickly it seemed, with everyone basking in the renewed bonds of friendship, except for Sesshoumaru, who remained above it all. If one could discount his tail which curled possessively around Kagome's feet, of course. It was after the dessert course that Inuyasha dropped his bomb.
"I'll be leaving in the morning." This caused quite a stir. The sounds of chopsticks, and other various eating implements could be heard hitting the plates. This was then followed by the cries of surprise and consternation.
"What?"
"Why?"
"Inuyasha? Where are you going? Why…"
"What do you mean, you are going?"
He held up his hands, ears flattening slightly in distress. "As glad as I am we are all together again, I can't stay." His voice softened as he continued to speak. "I can't stay with you, at least not yet. You may have forgiven me, Kagome," he looked at her briefly, eyes pleading with hers to understand. "but I haven't forgiven myself yet. I need to go my own way, find myself. I feel like I've lost my center, and I'm drifting without it. Please, try to understand?"
Miroku's brows drew together in concern. "Where will you go, Inuyasha?"
"I'm not sure yet. I'll probably continue to gather the shards. The more kept from Naraku, the better."
"Can't we come along Inuyasha? You might need the help…?" Sango trailed off uncertainly, saddened.
Sesshoumaru watched the little drama playing out before him, before adding in his own wisdom. "I think a little journey of self discovery will do you well, brother. If anything, you may yet become someone worthy of our blood." He couldn't help but add that last dig at him.
Inuyasha smiled sourly at his brother. "Perhaps."
Kagome rolled her eyes at the two bickering brothers, digging her elbow into Sess's side. "Wherever you go, Inuyasha, please take care. You can always come back here to visit, remember. I will miss you, but I understand why you feel you must go. I will definitely miss you."
Sesshoumaru gravely nodded as well, and the others soon followed suit. The hour had grown late, and it was time to retire. After the hall had cleared, Kagome turned to her love, eyeing him in a way that made him sweat. That look was never good…
"Sess, love, I need to talk to you about something very important…"
Nope, not good at all. Sesshoumaru knew he was in trouble then, but he had no clue about what! He gulped very slightly as she led him away.
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The sun rose in a pure azure sky the next morning, the weather crisp and clear. It was a perfect day for travel. Inuyasha stood by the gates to the castle, receiving the well wishes of his friends. He was laden with a pack filled with various items of food, clothing, supplies, and weapons. There was one he missed the presence of dearly, but he was resigned to go without. He scanned the area again one last time for Kagome, wishing he could say goodbye. He was turning to leave when a hastily called "Wait!" drew him back. Kagome was running toward him, a rather grumpy Lord in tow. He pulled up to a halt in front of him, her eyes sparkling with merriment.
"Don't think you could leave without saying goodbye to me, Inuyasha!"
He grinned slightly. "Not a chance, Kagome."
"Good. Because I have a surprise for you. Something I think you may just happen to need…" So saying, she pulled from her back the Tetsusaiga, and handed it to him. His jaw near dropped to the ground, and he only took the sword out of reflex.
"Wha….? Huh….? Tetsusaiga?"
"Very articulate, brother." Sess grumped at his younger half sibling, putting up a façade of being upset at losing the sword. But really, how could he be when he got something much better in trade?
Kagome smiled brightly, laughing lightly at his confusion. "Yes, it is the Tetsusaiga. I thought you might have more need of it then Sesshoumaru."
"But how?" Inuyasha stammered, glancing at his glowering brother, who appeared to be quite interested in the sky at the moment.
Kagome here faltered slightly, a slight haze of red covering her cheeks. "We sort of, ahem, traded for it, you might say." If anyone happened to look at Sesshoumaru at the moment they might have noticed a brief, true smile pass his features, before he returned to his normal stoic pose.
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, sniffing delicately, and then his eyes grew wide as saucers. ~Well now, seems Kagome truly is a sister now!~ He grinned as he thought this to himself. Placing the sword by his side in its customary place, he resolutely faced away from his friends, and toward the beginning of his next journey, and his destiny. The road ahead would be long and hard, but he new he would see it through. He had his friend's wishes to help him along the way.
~Fin~
For now….
Authors Notes: Well, there it is. Took a little longer then expected, but you can blame a virus for wiping my hard-drive among other things for that. Argh. I will do a separate review page for this. I will be working on the sequel though, never fear. Full of Inuyasha/Naraku fighting, a wedding, and a visit back home among other things. Perhaps even a NC-17 one-shot of Kagome's and Sess's deal…lol. Will keep all informed on that. I'll probably put it up on a yahoo group thingy. Well, I hope you all enjoyed that little romp into the world of Inuyasha, I know I did! I don't think it turned out so bad for my first real effort. Thank you everyone who read this, and left those WONDERFUL reviews! Luv ya!
~*~Gryphnwng~*~